Method of building concrete dock-walls.



l l QM Gif/1l n Y COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.,WASHINUTDN, D. C.

A. J'. MASON.

METHOD OF BUILDING CONCRETE DOCK WALLS.- APPLICATION FILED .TAN 18,'`1908.

1,088,289, Patented Jan.6,1914.

- UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE. I

ARTHUR J'. MASON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK K.HOOVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6,1914.

Application led January 18, 1908. Serial N o. 411,494.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. MASON, a citizenof the United States, residing in Chicago, in t-he county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements inMethods of Building Concrete Dock-Walls, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the art of docks or piers, and pertains moreespecially to that class or type wherein the vertical wall or palisadeconstituting the front of the dock and alongside which ships are tied upis constructed of some form of masonry.

In the erection of Vsuch masonry dock andv pier walls it has heretoforebeen generally customary to secure an adequate foundation` for the wallby first driving a series of piles to a point below the water level, forwhich purpose, as well as for the purpose of build-v ing that portion ofthe wall lying below the water level and resting on the piles, ithasbeen necessary to erect a coifer-dam or caisson. It is evidentthatthe erection of dock walls and palisades in this manner in-y volves alarge expense both in respect to the materials used and their method oferectionl and in respect to the preliminary operations involved in thebuilding of the necessary temporary accessories. Furthermore, wallsbuilt by this method necessarily require a considerable period of timein building; and, even when constructed in a thorough and substantialmanner, sometimes involve serious defects through undue settling of thefoundation and consequent cracking and fracture of the superstructure.

The main object of my present invention is to provide an improved methodof erecting a concrete dock wall or palisade characterized by increasedsimplicity of method of building, and which shall representa markedeconomy both in expense of construction and in the amount of timerequired for the same. Y

The method of operation involved in the present invention consists,substantially, of first molding the monoliths, then erecting the wallfrom one end toward the other by setting up said monoliths successivelyside by side, as by means o-f a suitable derric'k, and temporarilysubjecting each monolith, after it has been positioned, to the weight ofthe next succeeding monolith to sink the same to its permanent place inthe wall, and finally anchoring landward the upper end of thel wall thusformed. The monoliths being, in practice very heavy structures, the-described method of sinking and positioning them is abundantly amplefor the purpose, and has the further advantage that all the monoliths ofthe series are subjected to the same sinking pressure, and consequentlya wall of substantially uniform stability throughout is produced. Ofcourse, owing to variationsv in the character of the soil underlying theseries of monoliths, they will often be sunk to slightly varying depths,thus leaving a rough or jagged top line, which, however, may be coveredby a capping whichgives a level and straight finish to the wall as awhole.

In the accompanying drawing, which is a cross-sectional view through thewall, bank or shore, and intermediate filling, I have illustrated onepractical form which a wall erected under my present method may take,the drawing also illustrating some further details, such as the meansfor anchoring the upper end of the wall.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the bank or shore line alongwhich the wall is to be erected, and 6 the body of water abuttingagainst the same.

7 designates each of the series of monoliths, which latter are moldedconcrete structures of uniform length representing substantially thefull height of the wall, preferably of rectangular cross section and.for greater strength, preferably having em-l bedded therein longitudinalreinforcing rods 8, these latter projecting some distance above theupper ends of the monoliths and screwthreaded at their upper ends for apurpose hereinafter explained. For greater facility in sinking themonoliths the lower ends thereof are given a. wedge-shaped or chisellikeformation transversely of the wall. These monoliths are set with aderrick, their lower ends being preferably placedl in a rough trenchindicated at 10, which may be dredged. They are set in succession fromone end of the wall to the other; and each monolith, when set, will byits great weight cause the lower cutting edge thereof to sink somewhatinto the bottom of the trench, and it is then loaded temporarily withthe next monolith so that it will, for a short time, least, .have.imposed upon kit a very great load which, from the nature of theconstruction, will exceed any load which W'ill thereafter be placed uponBy forining the lower or penetrating end inclined or of a chisel-shape,leac h monolith has a disposition, when set, to crowd snugly against `theone last set, thus producing a tight Wall.

At suitable intervals throughout the longitudinal extent of the Wall itsupper end is anchored landward by tie-rods 11, one end of which isconnected to the upper end of certain 0f the monoliths by any suitablemeans, such as a clevis 12 that may convenientlybe secured by theprojecting ends of the reinforcing rods 8 passed therethrough, While theother end of each tie-rod is embedded in a concrete or other anchor 13sunk in the upper portion ,of the banl'.

Tlie'top of the wall is iinished off bya cement or concrete cover orcapping 14 molded thereon over the upper projecting ends of thereinforcing rods, which lattery are cut off at the proper points andsupplied with nuts 15, either Counter-sunk r embedded in theupper faceof the capping, whereby the latter is strongly tied to the series ofmonoliths.

A further detail feature which contributes to the stability andperfection of the structure consists in making certain of the monolithsat intervals somewhat Wider land- Ward, than the rest, as shown at 7a,whereby said Wider members secure a lateral rest or abutment against thevfilling 16 interposed between the inner side of the Wall and thesloping face of the bank 5, which checks any tendency o1 the latter tolean either Way in the direction of its length.

y The security of 'thexloiverend of the Wall may be enl'iyanced byapplying a footing of broken rockJ rubble, or any similar materialLinthat portionuof the trench lying in front of the Wall, as shown at 19.

The concrete capping 14, besides securely binding together all theindividual monoliths, also serves Aas a support and anchor forbollard-posts 2O and similar operating devices employed on the dockfront.

I claim:

1. The method of building dock-Walls, which consists in molding a seriesof con crete monoliths, setting up said monoliths successively side byside to form Athe wall, temporarily subjecting each monolith `after ithas been positioned to the Weight 'of the next succeeding monolith -tosink the same to its permanent place in the Wall, and anclio'ri'ng backthe upper end of the Wall, substantially as described.

2. The method of building dock-Walls,

which consists in moldingra series of .con-

crete monoliths, setting up said monoliths successively side by side toform the Wall, temporarily subjecting each monolithv after it has beenpositioned to the Weight ofthe next succeeding monolith to sink the sameto its permanent place in the Wall7 bonding the upper ends of the seriesof monoliths together7 and anchoring back the upper end of the Wall,substantially as described.

ARTHUR J. MASON. lVitnesses SAMUEL N. POND, C'HAS. A. KENYON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained vfor ve ceixts each, Vaddressing@the Commissioner of Patents, p

Washington, D. 0., Y

